Tauranga City Councillors say their vested interest in the election signs debate places them too close to the issue and so are recommending the issue be publicly debated.

Mayor Stuart Crosby wants the council to adopt a policy similar to the Rotorua District Council's, which bans election signs from public property.

Election sign clutters such as this at Memorial Park in 2010 are the subject of a Tauranga City Council debate as to whether these signs should be permitted on public property.

He presented a copy of the Rotorua policy at the Tauranga City Council's strategy and policy committee meeting on June 14.

Stuart noticed the difference Rotorua's policy made to the appearance of the town when he visited there shortly before the last election.

Returning to Tauranga over the Pyes Pa Road he encountered the plethora of roadside election signs on the Tauranga roadside berms.

'It was such a stark contrast to go to a city that manages it well, and to come back here and see the dog's breakfast at every intersection and the vandalism it attracts,” says Stuart.

'I think it's time for changes – as the city grows it doesn't look good.”

Speakers at Tuesday's strategy and policy committee meeting invariably prefaced their remarks with admissions of being guilty to polluting the streets with their own road side election signs, before widening the issue to whether other solutions might better be applied. These suggestions included shortening the time the signs can be displayed from six to three weeks.

There was also some discussion about the fairness of people-in-power restricting others' opportunities and access to seats on council.

It's always easier for the All Blacks to impress the selectors because they are seen on a regular basis says Rick Curach. The selectors don't see so many newbies.

When Bill Grainger asked Stuart if he thought it would be fair, Stuart said:

'There's nothing fair in an election – absolutely, there's nothing fair about it.

'There are those who have more resources, those who have a higher public profile, those who are connected to groups and those who create a group themselves and have some commercial means.

'If you think having signs, or not having signs, is creating a level playing field, I don't believe from my years of experience, that it exists.

'There's a whole number of variables that come into the success or otherwise of any particular candidate, and my analysis is that signs in a public space make very little difference.”

The limited consultation process is expected to take about six weeks, with the results back before the committee in mid to late August.